Complexities of homeless crisis laid bare in stark facts and figures

Complexities of homeless crisis laid bare in stark facts and figures

Opposition silent as statisticians seek to explain the plight of hundreds of families, writes Philip Ryan

Shades of opinion: Taoiseach Leo Varadkar with Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy — housing will be a key issue at the next general election. Photo: Justin Farrelly

There was an eerie silence from the Opposition benches last week following the publication of two reports on the challenges faced by agencies responsible for housing people who present as homeless.

The political obsession with statistics was nowhere to be found. Politicians who are generally very keen to pontificate about facts and figures seemed to have taken the week off.

One report came from the Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE) and the other from the Homelessness Inter-Agency Group. Both aimed to give Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy a clearer picture (read: political cover) of the reasons behind the State’s failure to resolves the homelessness crisis.

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